


Spark of My Spark:  Confrontation

by Skywinder



Series: Shadows of the Past [5]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon, Post-War, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-04 02:31:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5317190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skywinder/pseuds/Skywinder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On his way home from his new job at the Vosian Academy, Starscream is pondering over the recent events of his life when he runs into his remaining Trinemate.  But Thundercracker may not have a happy reunion in mind.</p><p>Set about 7 orns after Spark of My Spark:  Homecoming.</p><p>Began writing in the last couple days of NaNoWriMo 2015.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spark of My Spark:  Confrontation

**Author's Note:**

> I'd had it in mind for some while to write a continuation of SoMS: Homecoming, but wasn't sure I wanted to write another chapter for it, as it risked giving away some major spoilers for the main story. However, since I have had it come up in a couple of comments for both the main and prequel story Dark Night, I decided to cover what did end up happening between Thundercracker and Starscream, since that may very likely not be making it into the main story. If it does, though, it will be mainly relegated to background.

* * *

_“Remember, confrontation is about reconciliation and awareness, not judgement or anger.”_ ― Dale Partridge

* * *

 _What a Primus-fragging long day cycle_ , Starscream thought as he flew home from the Vosian Academy. _Who would have thought being an instructor was so exhausting?_ Especially when you were teaching younglings who had barely any knowledge of the basics. Only seven orns in and he was ready to scream in frustration. But at least he could deal with that, as most seemed genuinely interested in learning. Though there were those few who seemed more interested in the fact they had a former Decepticon for a teacher and wanted to know all about that. He was finding it somewhat of a challenge to redirect their interest to what he was actually teaching.

But he couldn't deny that even with the frustration, there was a small part of him that was enjoying the prospect of teaching these younglings about his first real interest and passion. He just hoped the "hero worship" some of those young ones had faded away in time.

And really, he supposed, he should count himself lucky that he'd gotten a job so quickly. He hadn't thought much of it when Silverracer mentioned it, and asked her to relay the message that to send his thanks and that he would be willing to be interviewed for it at the Headmaster's earliest convenience.

Then had come the talk with Huracan the following day cycle.

After that discussion (where the rules he would have to follow were laid down, rules he agreed to since he had absolutely no interest in crawling back to Iacon, no matter if Skyfire was there), he became suspicious that the Science instructor position that Silverracer had mentioned to Metalhawk and discussed during that evening cycle with him was a very convenient opening indeed. According to his eldest _cognitos_ , many of the returning former Decepticon Seekers hadn't been able to find work right away. After agreeing to the rules laid down by the new Winglord, all of them had found work of some kind, from the Vosian Military Academy to even the simplest cleaning jobs, but it had taken several orns, up to twenty for some, to get into those openings.

When he'd prodded Huracan about it, he was told that the Winglord wished to compete with the rest of Cybertron in the Science field, and he'd been made aware that the only Seeker who might have that kind of experience was in prison. Further questioning not only in effect confirmed his earlier suspicions, but revealed more about the reasons behind the Winglord's involvement.

Starscream grimaced inwardly. He'd known that his former rank in the Decepticons was likely to become an issue, so the information that Winglord Steelwind was going to be keeping track of him until he knew for sure that Starscream wasn't going to be a problem wasn't really a surprise. Unpleasant to deal with so soon, yes, but not a surprise. What bothered him more was the assumption the Winglord had made due to said previous rank...

Once the tri-color had heard that, he'd asked Huracan to let the Winglord know that it was his intention to withdraw from public life and he'd already informed the Autobots of that fact. Which had then led to him telling his _cognitos_ about the meeting that the Prime and his former SIC had requested his presence at just after his release. The sea-green Seeker replied that he would certainly let the Winglord know about his wish, but that it was unlikely to change the Vosian leader's mind right now. He would just have to follow the rules of the clan house and obey the laws of Vos if he desired to prove his words to Steelwind.

He'd hated it, but he'd swallowed his pride and agreed. Two day cycles later, he'd gone for the interview with the Headmaster at the Academy. Half an orn later, he found himself in his current position.

He'd learned from the Headmaster upon his hire that while some of the parents had voiced concerns upon word of his being seen there the orn of his interview, he'd assured them that he'd been able to get information from a contact at the Iacon Academy which confirmed that he had indeed had experience in the sciences and he would see to it personally that nothing else was taught. Starscream had had no trouble reading between the lines there.

It was going to take a long time, he reflected, before he could prove his good intentions. But then again, no one outside his clan knew why he'd joined the Decepticons, why he'd done what he did, not to mention his reputation in there...So he supposed he really couldn't blame everyone else for their suspicions of him.

He wondered what would be said if everyone (even those from his faction) _did_ know the truth. Starscream smiled bitterly at the thought.

But what did it really matter now? The war was over, and he'd been on the losing side. Everything he'd ever done had been for nothing.

All he'd been able to do in the end was give Skyfire his life and his freedom...

Starscream felt his Spark clench over the memory of what he'd done and said to his Conjunx. Metalhawk and Slipstream _did_ have good points concerning Skyfire, he wouldn't argue that, but he knew his mate far better than they did, since they'd never met him. They didn't know what he could be like when he got angry...Starscream had seen his temper in action, though (except for the one time during the war) not in his direction, thank Primus.

With luck, Skyfire would move on, something that deep down, Starscream knew he'd never be able to do...

_::We need to talk.::_

The unexpected comm. nearly made Starscream fall out of the sky. _What the fragging Pit?_

A quick scan around him soon revealed the source of the comm.: a very familiar navy blue jet just behind him and to the left. Once more, he grimaced. _I suppose I should have expected_ he'd _turn up_ , Starscream thought a little wearily, though in all honesty he'd believed the other jet had wanted to have nothing more to do with his former Trineleader after his release, given his own actions when _he'd_ gotten out. While he might have supported Starscream's leadership bid at the end, and had supported the surrender when the time came, they'd never really been friends. But given the gossip about his presence in Vos, perhaps it was no surprise Thundercracker was seeking him out. _Might as well see what he wants._ Opening his own link, he replied, _::Very well, Thundercracker. When and where?::_

 _::Now, and that tower platform just a few nanokliks to the left::_ was the response. The terseness of the message told Starscream that Thundercracker was not in the mood for any argument.

Resigning himself to the inevitable, he ran a quick scan and located the platform that the other Seeker was referring to. He altered his direction and headed towards it, transforming and landing a klik later, his former Trinemate right behind him.

Starscream took a few steps towards the center of the platform, then turned around to face the other Seeker. Thundercracker just stood there staring at him, a stony expression on his face, optics unreadable, wings tensed, arms at his side with hands clenched into fists.

The tri-color jet frowned briefly. This stance was very unlike Thundercracker, as he knew from long observation that the navy jet usually didn't display his emotions so openly. Even in prison, he'd been very good at keeping his thoughts concealed. Not that he hadn't gotten angry, Starscream had seen the blue Seeker lose his temper before, but it was a rare occurrence and he usually displayed it in his words and tone, not physically.

Something warned Starscream he would need to tread carefully here.

Schooling his face into a neutral expression, he finally spoke. "Thundercracker," he greeted the other Seeker with a nod, keeping his tone as neutral as his features. "It's been a while."

"It has," Thundercracker answered, neither stance nor expression changing, but Starscream thought he detected an edge in the other mech's voice.

Starscream waited for his former Trinemate to continue, but after a few kliks had passed by in silence with no word coming from the navy jet, the tri-color found himself becoming slightly irritated. He had some lesson plans to go over and then he just wanted to curl up in his berth. He didn't have time to put up with a wingmate who'd apparently just called him out to glare at him instead of talking.

"What do you want, Thundercracker?" he finally asked, trying to keep the irritation from his voice.

Thundercracker just met his former Trineleader's gaze evenly. "Just wanted to find out for myself if the rumor was true." And this time, Starscream knew he wasn't imagining the anger he heard.

Raising a browridge, he replied, "Rumor? I suppose the one concerning the fact that I'd returned to Vos?"

"Yeah, that one," his Second Wing hissed, with a flash of his optics. "And the fact you were here for a few orns before anyone knew you were back."

 _So that's it_ , Starscream thought with some surprise. Outwardly, though, he shrugged and said casually, "I didn't exactly hide my return, Thundercracker, considering the shuttle transport I took brought me straight to Vos' shipyard. Besides," he turned his face away to gaze out over the nearly rebuilt city, "my clan knew I was returning, and would have reported the upcoming event to the Winglord. I had no say in whether or not he announced my release and impending arrival to Vos."

And in any case, Starscream admitted quietly, he was kind of glad the Winglord hadn't. Given the mood he'd been in when he left Iacon, he hadn't really wanted to deal with big crowds there just to gawk at him. He'd simply wanted to get back to his family home and have some time to pull himself together before going out into public again.

Looking back at his wingmate, he continued, still idly, "If no one recognized me or could be bothered to make it known I was back, then that wasn't my problem, either."

 _If looks could kill_ , Starscream thought as he watched his former Second Wing seemingly fighting an internal battle over whether or not he should hit him, judging by the way his arms were trembling and the rage in his optics.

In a way, it amazed him that Thundercracker was so angry with his silence. But then again...Maybe it shouldn't, he realized wearily. For all they'd never gotten along, they _had_ been Trine. They might not have agreed with him, but Skywarp and the jet in front of him hadn't walked away when they could have after Megatron's death. They'd stuck by him, for whatever reason, and Skywarp had died for his loyalty.

Thundercracker could have left then; Skywarp had been his best friend, they'd grown up together from Sparklings. Some had thought they were lovers, but Starscream knew for a fact that wasn't the case. Even so, the old loyalty could have proven stronger than Trine loyalty, and Thundercracker could have just up and left as the Constructicons had. He didn't, though. Not that the other mech hadn't grieved for his old friend; a few nights after Skywarp's death, Starscream had caught him staring at an old holo of the two of them he'd managed to hold onto throughout the war. It _had_ been on the tip of his tongue to make some sharp comment, but then a few old memories had drifted up and he'd slipped away in silence, feeling that the other jet should have some time alone to deal with the grief he was undoubtedly experiencing.

A few days following that, when Starscream personally informed Thundercracker that Motormaster was dead, the navy jet had smirked coldly and nodded. Neither spoke of it again.

Even as things worsened, he could have left on his own. But he hadn't. He'd stayed until the end, and had followed him into prison with the rest of their group and all the remaining Decepticon Seekers.

In prison, Starscream had tried to keep to himself as much as he could, suspecting that he was likely being watched and wouldn't give anyone reason to think he was plotting. But though he didn't interact openly, he'd always sent quick comms. to those who'd followed him to remind them that as much as they might not like it, they had to keep their heads down and give no cause for the Autobots to keep them locked up longer than the sentences they'd been given. He'd seen Thundercracker several times, but neither had spoken to each other.

Over the vorns, one by one, his group had been released, with Thundercracker being the last one about fifteen vorns before. Each of them had sent comms to let him know where they were going and what they planned to do when they left. All had promised to keep him posted on what was going on outside...

Except for Thundercracker, realized Starscream suddenly. He'd simply bid a terse goodbye, left, and Starscream had never heard from him since.

The former Decepticon SIC had never questioned it before, just focusing on his own plans for the future. But now, looking at his angry once wingmate, he wondered if perhaps he should have. After all, Thundercracker had _stayed_ , yet it had never been acknowledged. Not at the time, and not later.

And that was poor repayment for a former Trinemate, no matter what the relationship had been in the past.

With that thought, Starscream stepped forward and moved his wings to a neutral position, then spoke once more. "This is about more than my not announcing my return, isn't it?" he said quietly, watching very carefully to see how the other reacted to his question.

Thundercracker just growled, and lifted a fist as if to strike Starscream. Noticing this, the tri-color shook his head and crossed his arms. "As much as I'm sure I likely have a punch coming for any one of my actions towards you, it's not going to help me understand your anger, Thundercracker."

The other jet lowered his fist. "I'm sure it won't. So busy worrying about your own problems, you don't have time to pay attention to anyone or anything else," he snapped.

Starscream's optics narrowed. "That is _not_ fair, Thundercracker," he hissed.

"Isn't it?" the navy Seeker sneered. "Just about all you did was sit in that cell and sulk over everything. Didn't even give a damn about anyone or anything else," he spat. "Not about what our lives were like there or what they'd be like when we got out."

Starscream's expression hardened. It was true he kept to himself, but the rest of it..."Is that what you really believe? You think I kept to myself because I was feeling sorry for myself?! _Primus_ , Thundercracker! You know very well what my rank was. You knew that it was most likely the Autobots were having me watched while I was there. My reputation saw to it that they would, and you _knew_ that!" He shook his head, a mixture of exhaustion and anger in his optics. "I tried to look out for you as best I could without calling attention to myself. It was all I could do. As for what happened to you when you got out...There was no way I could know about it, and much less could I do anything about it if I _did_ know." A thought struck him. Huracan had said it took time for former Decepticons to get work...And that those with the lowest paying jobs seemed to be those who either had no kin to speak out for them or whose kin had disowned them...

Thundercracker's family had survived with very few losses, since they lived on the upper rings. Starscream believed he'd heard him mention once they had come from a line of merchants and had enough wealth to live up there. They were also very proud from what he'd heard. Starscream's mouth became a thin line as the implications sank in. If he was right, then Thundercracker had good cause to be angry.

"Your kin rejected you, didn't they?" he said flatly, watching his former Trinemate very carefully for his reaction.

He and his siblings had been fortunate, he was well aware of this. All three of them knew they could have been disowned, but their kin hadn't taken that action, and he had no doubts as to why. But that didn't mean other families would be so willing to let things go.

Thundercracker's optics flashed, and he looked away, but made no other reply. Starscream suspected that was as good an answer as he was going to get from the usually stoic mech. "I see," he said quietly. A sad smile came to his face. "I'm sorry then if that was the case, Thundercracker."

"As if you care," the other mech replied with a snarl.

"You _were_ my Trinemate once," Starscream pointed out. "Even if we were never friends, we still flew together for thousands of vorns. I'm not going to forget that. I...just had my own reasons for keeping others at a distance. It was nothing to do with you." He shook his head. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't have dealt with Motormaster after Skywarp died, Thundercracker. He didn't deserve to die the way he did."

A strange, undefineable emotion flickered briefly over the other mech's face. "He would have been surprised you did that," he muttered. The navy jet looked back at Starscream. "But he would have been cackling in glee, too. Always did hate that truck." He gave a thin half-smile.

Starscream smiled grimly. "I don't think anyone liked him, not even his own gestaltmates," he said with another shake of his head.

Thundercracker gave a slight nod, but made no further answer.

Silence fell between the two for a few kliks, then finally Starscream spoke again. "I don't know what I can do for you, Thundercracker. I'm under watch right now by the Winglord. He knows of my past rank and reputation, according to my Clan Head, and has given my kin orders to make sure I don't cause trouble. Asking favors for my former Trinemate so soon after my release won't be received well.

"But," he continued, raising his hand as Thundercracker opened his mouth to speak. "While I can't ask for favors for you right now, I am willing to listen if you need to talk. We may not have been friends, but I _do_ owe you for staying there when I needed the support, and I can give you that much. Besides," the tri-color said with a smirk, "I think Skywarp would kill me if I didn't look out for you at least in that respect."

Thundercracker just stared steadily at Starscream for a klik, all anger now seeming to have faded out of his frame. Then, he too smirked. "I'd say that's a fair assessment." He turned to walk away, stopping only to turn his head back and say, "I'll see you here in about three day cycles, same joor."

Starscream nodded. "I'll be here," he replied calmly.

Without another word, Thundercracker transformed and took to the sky, heading back towards the lower rings of Vos.

Starscream watched until his wingmate had vanished into the surrounding traffic before he too transformed and returned to his family home.

During the flight, he pondered the conversation that had just taken place.

He still didn't know for sure why Thundercracker had approached him, even with his suspicions, but he couldn't deny it had been good to talk with a familiar face. He was going to have to report the encounter to Huracan, but as long as he didn't try to hide it or future interactions, he suspected his _cognitos_ wouldn't raise too many objections. He gave a small inward smile.

_Perhaps things will be all right after all._


End file.
